Relax
Today I am sharing a card with you that is a result of my first play with the Beach Happy stamp set. I bought this set because I think it will co-ordinate with several others that I already own, however, this is the first time it has seen ink, but hopefully not the last. I have a friend who just retired and I wanted to create a card for her. I stamped the palm tree stems in Soft Suede ink and added the leaves in Old Olive ink onto Shimmer Paper. I stamped the beach chair and umbrella using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The striped image to fill the chair is stamped in Real Red ink and the fill image for the umbrella is stamped in Cajun Craze ink. I punched a Post-It-Note with the 1-1/4″ Circle Punch and added it to the card front. I used Crumb Cake ink and an Aqua Painter to create a sandy beach. I used the Aqua Painter and Bermuda Bay ink to create the sea. 
The sky is added using an Aqua Painter and Coastal Cabana ink. I removed the Post-It-Note and using the Aqua Painter filled the area with Daffodil Delight ink. Lastly I added the greeting from the Beach Happy stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The panel is attached to scored and folded Thick Very Vanilla card.
Now I think my painter’s eye was a little off and maybe the sea should not be quite so “downhill”, however, I am happy with the overall effect. Adding the colour around the images, makes the image maybe not so perfect, but is slightly more realistic (in my humble opinion).
To decorate the inside of the card, I stamped the palm tree stem three times using Soft Suede ink and added the leaves using Old Olive ink.
I’d really love to hear what you think of this card.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Geared Up Garage
Have you seen this gorgeous guy suite in the Occasions Catalogue. It has a stamp set, dies, designer series paper and some embellishments. Such fun. Today I have three cards to share with you. The first one is simple stamping. I stamped the smoke image from the Geared Up Garage stamp set onto a Note card using Basic Gray ink which I stamped onto scrap paper first. I stamped the car image from the same stamp set using Real Red ink. 
The greeting which is from the same stamp set is stamped using Basic Gray ink. I decorated the envelope using the car and smoke images to match.
The second card is slightly stepped up and would suit someone who stamps to create cards for their family and close friends. This time I stamped the smoke image onto Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink which I had stamped off once. I also stamped the greeting from the Geared Up Garage stamp set using Basic Gray ink. The stamped Whisper White card is attached to scored and folded Basic Gray card. 
I stamped the car image from the Geared Up Garage stamp set onto Whisper White card using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I coloured the image using the Dark Real Red and Light Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blend and cut out the image using one of the Layering Ovals Framelits Dies. The image is attached to a Basic Gray scalloped oval cut using the Layering Ovals Framelits Dies and then the card front using dimensionals. To decorate the inside of the card, I stamped the smoke image onto Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink which I stamped off once first. 
I stamped “happy birthday” from the Beautiful Bouquet stamp set over the top using Basic Gray ink.
The third card is a little more stepped up and would suite someone like me who “has to have it all”. This time I stamped the greeting from the Geared Up Garage stamp set onto the lower right hand corner of Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink. The stamped card is attached to scored and folded Basic Gray card. 
I punched a strip of Basic Gray card using the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch and attached it behind one long edge of a piece of the Classic Garage Designer Series paper. This panel is attached to the top of the card front. I cut the large cog wheel image from Whisper White using the co-ordinating Geared Up Garage Framelits Die. 
I stamped the car image from the Geared Up Garage stamp set onto Whisper White card using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it using the Dark Real Red Stampin’ Blend and the Light Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blend. I stamped the smoke image behind the car using Basic Gray ink, which I had stamped onto scrap paper first. The image is cut out using one of the Layering Oval Framelit Dies and attached to a Basic Gray scalloped oval cut using the same dies.
I cut the cog wheel image across the centre and attached the two pieces to the card front so that they would show behind the image panel which is attached using dimensionals. To decorate the inside of the card, I punched a strip of Basic Gray card using the Decorative Ribbon Border punch. The punched piece is attached behind one long edge of the same Designer Series Paper used on the front of the card. The panel is attached across the bottom of Whisper White card. I stamped the smoke image using Basic Gray ink which I had stamped onto scrap paper first. I stamped the greeting from the Beautiful Bouquet stamp set over the smoke image using Basic Gray ink.
So what do you think, three cards using the same basic supplies but three different looks.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Case this Sketch 307
The card I am sharing today uses the sketch challenge at Case This Sketch as the starting point. I embossed Highland Heather card using the Layered Leaves Dynamic Embossing Folder. I spritzed the card before I embossed it using a mixture of Isopril (rubbing alcohol) and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint. I don’t know if you can see it in the photos but the embossed card is quite sparkly. I attached a piece of the Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper across the bottom of the embossed panel and wrapped the top edge of the designer series paper using the Whisper White 5/8″ Flax Ribbon.
The panel is attached to scored and folded thick Whisper White card. I stamped the image from the Just Because (Hostess only) stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. 
I coloured the image using Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends.
To decorate the inside of the card, I embossed Highland Heather card using the Layered Leaves Dynamic Embossing Folder which is attached to the bottom of Whisper White card.
I think this card is so pretty it will be making it’s way into my classes this month. Thanks so much to Case This Sketch for the inspiration. Why don’t you tell me what you think, would you like to create this card?
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Freshly Made 363
Today’s card is brought to you care of the sketch challenge at Freshly Made. I decided to add strips of the Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper diagonally across Whisper White card. This Designer Series Paper is one of the items you can earn free from Sale-A-Bration, although I do think this one is almost sold out, so you might need to place an order quickly if you need this Designer Series Paper. I stamped the greeting from the Beauty Abounds stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The panel is attached to scored and folded Basic Black card. I stamped the long floral image from the Beauty Abounds stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured the image using the Dark Poppy Parade and Dark Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends. 
The image panel is attached to Basic Black card and then the card front using dimensionals. 
I stamped the butterfly from the Beauty Abounds stamp set onto Whisper White card using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured some of the butterfly using the Dark Poppy Parade Stampin’ Blend. I hand cut the butterfly before attaching it to the image panel using dimensionals.
To decorate the inside of the card, I stamped the same floral image onto Whisper White card using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Once more the image is coloured using the Dark Poppy Parade and Dark Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends.
I love how this card looks. Black and White with a splash of colour is always so classy, don’t you think.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Memories and More Pocket Pages
Last week I shared a couple of Memory Keeping pages which were simple, mostly concentrating on the photos. Well today I have two Photo Pocket Pages to share with you. The first page depicts our visit to the Underground Hospital in Mt. Isa. This is an amazing place! During the 2nd World War patients were moved up the hill from the hospital to the underground shelter to be safe when the Air Raid Sirens sounded. The walls are just rough cut rock and the floor is dirt. After the war it was used by the hospital during periods of extreme heat to house the newborn babies and their mother’s. 
The second page shows the sun setting over Lake Moondarra. Our friends told us not to miss sunset, so we took some nibbles and a drinks and watched it go down over the lake. So pretty! Once more the emphasis is on the photos. Each photo is slipped into it’s own pocket. I print my photos to suit the page, so they are either 6″ x 4″ or 3″ x 4″ depending on where they need to be on the Photo Pocket Page. To finish off the pages I used a Best Route Memories and More card to add my journaling. So simple and so quick to do. My grandchildren love getting these books out and going over the photos and telling stories about the things they remember. If you are not a currently sharing your photos, then maybe you should give Photo Pocket Pages a try.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Inkspire. Create. Challenge 35
I spent some time using my blends on the flower from the Beautiful Day stamp set recently. I thought it was about time, I used some of the gorgeous stamp sets from the Annual Catalogue. Anyway, I had the images stamped and cut out and then I saw the challenge at Inkspire. Create. which suited my images perfectly. So I embossed Whisper White card using one of the Petal Pair Embossing Folders, a pair of embossing folders which has been sadly neglected for too long. However, before embossing the Whisper White card, I attached a strip of Highland Heather. 
This kind of “welds” the cards together and creates a unique look. The panel is attached to scored and folded Highland Heather card. I attached the flower which is coloured using the Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends to the card front using dimensionals. I stamped the greeting from the Beautiful Day stamp set onto Whisper White card using Highland Heather ink and attached it to the card front, partially over the flower, using dimensionals.
To decorate the inside of the card, I embossed a narrow strip of Whisper White card using the same Petal Pair Embossing Folder.
The embossed card has a narrow strip of Highland Heather attached to one long edge before the panel is attached across the bottom of Whisper White card.
This is kind of a simple card but I love it. So much so that I used the rest of the flowers I had coloured to create three more cards. The colours are – Real Red, with Real Red, Old Olive and Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends – Flirty Flamingo with Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green and Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends – Daffodil Delight with Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Light Real Red Stampin’ Blends. The sentiments on the Real Red and Flirty Flamingo cards also comes from the Beautiful Day stamp set.
I am getting a collection of sets of cards which I will box up and have ready to give as gifts to my family and friends.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Hello Cupcake
Isn’t that a cute saying!.. and now it’s the name of a stamp set that you can earn for Free during Sale-a-bration with a qualifying order. The stamp set is photopolymer which makes it really easy to layer the different stamps together. I began by stamping a simple or beginner card onto a Whisper White Note card. I stamped the cupcake base using Petal Pink ink and the icing using Berry Burst ink. I also stamped the greeting which is from the Hello Cupcake stamp set using Berry Burst ink. The envelope is decorated to match. 
I normally don’t decorate my envelopes but in this case, I think it is the type of card that would be hand delivered.
The second card I stamped is for the more casual stamper – someone who stamps and gives out their own greeting cards. This time I embossed the top two-thirds of Whisper White card using the Sparkle Embossing Folder. I wrapped the end of the embossing with the Berry Burst 3/8″ Metallic Edge Ribbon and tied a knot. I stamped the greeting from the Hello Cupcake stamp set onto the bottom right hand corner of the card using Berry Burst ink.
The embossed panel is attached to scored and folded Berry Burst card. I stamped the cupcake using Petal Pink and Berry Burst ink and cut it out using one of the circles from the Layering Circles Framelits Dies. 
The image is attached to a Berry Burst scalloped circle cut using the same dies. The image is attached to the card front using dimensionals. I decorated the inside of the card by stamped another of the greetings from the Hello Cupcake stamp set using Petal Parade ink. I stamped two small flowers from the Hello Cupcake stamp set using Berry Burst ink.
The last card is for the avid stamper or in other words someone, like me, who has to have it all. This is the type of stamper who should take advantage of the great offers for signing up to be a new demonstrator during Sale-a-bration (contact me to get more details). So for this card, I cut a narrow Whisper White panel (7cm or 2-3/4″) wide and embossed the top two-thirds using the Sparkle Embossing Folder. I wrapped the bottom of the embossing with Berry Burst 3/8″ Metallic Edge Ribbon and tied a knot. 
I stamped the greeting from the Hello Cupcake stamp set using Berry Burst ink. I punched strips of Berry Burst card using the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch and attached the pieces to the sides of the embossed card before attaching to another Whisper White panel. 
The whole piece is attached to scored and folded Berry Burst card. I stamped the cupcake from the Hello Cupcake stamp set using Petal Parade and Berry Burst ink and cut out the image using one of the circles from the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies. I attached the image to a Berry Burst scalloped circle cut using the Layering Circles Framelits Dies. The image panel is attached to the card front using dimensionals. To decorate the inside of the card, I stamped the greeting from the Hello Cupcake stamp set onto Whisper White card using Petal Parade ink. I stamped two small flowers from the same stamp set using Berry Burst ink. I punched a strip of Berry Burst card using the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch and attached it behind one long edge of Whisper White card embossed using the Sparkle embossing folder. The panel is attached to the bottom of the stamped Whisper White card.
So there you have it, another example of how you can create simple or beginner, casual and avid type cards using the same stamp set and basic colours. The difference being the amount of added supplies in the case of casual and avid cards.
I would love to hear what you think of these cards.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Fab Friday 155
I used the sketch at Fab Friday to create a birthday card for a lady who is celebrating her birthday soon. I did turn the sketch so that I could have a tall instead of wide card. I embossed Whisper White card using the Lace Dynamic Embossing Folder and attached it to scored and folded Berry Burst card. I stamped the flower image from the Forever Lovely stamp set onto Whisper White card using Berry Burst ink and stamped the leaf image around it using Lemon Lime Twist ink. I cut the co-ordinating Lovely Flowers Edgelits Die from Whisper White card and layered it on top of the stamped image. I cut Berry Burst card using the scalloped edge die from the Be Mine Stitched Framelits Dies. I attached one scalloped edge behind the top and bottom edges of the stamped card. The whole panel is attached to the card front. 
I cut Berry Burst card using the banner die from the Needlepoint Elements Framelits Dies and attached it to the card front using dimensionals. 
I stamped the greeting from the Itty Bitty Birthday stamp set onto Whisper White card using Berry Burst ink. I punched out the greeting using the Classic Label Punch and added it to the centre of the Berry Burst Banner.
To decorate the inside of the card, I stamped the single flower from the Forever Lovely stamp set using Berry Burst ink and added the leaves using Lemon Lime Twist ink.
Thanks for the inspiration Fab Friday. I hope my friend likes her card.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Happy Birthday Karyn
My sister recently celebrated her birthday and today I thought I would share the card that I made for her. The card base is Highland Heather and the front is cut down to about half so that you can see the inside panel when the card is closed. I coloured some of the butterflies on the Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper using the dark Petal Parade Stampin’ Blend. One piece is attached to the front panel of the card and the other is attached to Whisper White card and then attached to the inside back panel of the card.
I stamped “Happy Birthday from the Special Celebrations stamp set onto Whisper White card using Highland Heather ink and punched out the greeting using the 1-3/4″ Circle Punch. The greeting is attached in an off-set manner to a 2-1/4″ Circle of Highland Heather card. The greeting is attached to the front panel so that it overhangs by about half. I stamped the butterflies from the Butterfly Gala stamp set onto Whisper White card using Highland Heather ink and punched them out using the matching Butterfly Duet Punch. 
I also stamped and punched out one more small butterfly. One small butterfly is attached to the inside of the card before I stamped the antennae using Highland Heather ink. The second small butterfly is attached to the greeting panel before I stamped the antennae using Highland Heather ink. The large butterfly is also attached to the greeting panel but for this one I didn’t stamp the antennae. Each of the butterflies on the greeting panel have had the wings curled slightly using the bone folder and they are attached in the centre of the body only using Tombow Multipurpose glue. I added a mini dimensional under each of the wings of the small butterfly and two dimensionals under the left wing of the large butterfly.
I love the look of this card and I certainly love this Designer Series Paper. It is absolutely gorgeous and free with a qualifying order during Sale-a-Bration.
Once more Happy Birthday Karyn, hope your day was amazing.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product Used:
Simply Memory Keeping
Today I am going to share with you a couple of very simple Memory Keeping pages. I know that when I first started to create pages, it took me ages to add the photos, embellishments and ribbons etc. I would spend anything up to a week, moving the pieces and adding and taking away embellishments. I finally realised that it’s the photos that are the star of the page not what you add. Sometimes, you need to add something in the way of an embellishment but not always. Today’s pages do not have any embellishments as the photos speak for themselves. The first page is of the cruise through Katherine Gorge we took on our trip to Darwin. The scenery is just so beautiful I didn’t think it needed anything more than a little information about where we were and what we did, and the date, of course. I love the photos of the family swimming in the gorge. A never to be forgotten experience. I placed my photos (all 4″ x 3″) onto a Very Vanilla 12″ x 12″ page. I cut the title from Crumb Cake card using the Little Letters Thinlits Dies (retired, but I find these dies are so often just the right size for my memory keeping). The journaling was created on my computer and printed onto Very Vanilla card which is attached to Crumb Cake card before being attached to the page.
The second page shows some photos from the War Cemetery at Adelaide River. Again the photos are all that is necessary to recall our visit to this beautiful place which commemorates the ultimate sacrifice by so many from Darwin and surrounds during WWII. This time the photos are attached to Early Espresso card and then a 12″ x 12″ Whisper White page. The title is hand written onto a pocket card which is not Stampin’ Up! using one of our journaling pens.
So you see Memory Keeping doesn’t need to be time consuming or even very costly. I know that when my family and I look at these pages, we will be flooded with memories of our visits to these special places. I hope this inspires you to get more of your photos onto pages that can be shared and admired by your family and friends.
Bye for now,
Kris
Product used:
Stamping with Kris 